Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods at Community College of Denver

The earnings data here raises serious questions, though the small sample size means these numbers might not represent the typical graduate's experience. Starting at just $18,399—in the 5th percentile nationally—puts graduates well below even poverty-level wages for a single adult in Denver. While earnings do climb substantially to $30,329 by year four, that still barely exceeds what you'd expect from many entry-level positions that don't require any certificate at all.

Within Colorado, this program sits at the 25th percentile, lagging behind Front Range Community College's graduates who earn $29,749 right out of the gate. The debt load of $14,375 matches the state median, but when paired with such low initial earnings, it creates a challenging first few years. It takes nearly a full year's salary to pay off the debt at graduation—a heavy burden for someone earning less than $20,000.

Given that these are education-related credentials, the initial earnings suggest graduates may be working as paraprofessionals or in part-time teaching roles before potentially transitioning to better-paid positions. If that career arc is typical, the certificate could make sense as a stepping stone. But without more transparency about where graduates actually work and why earnings start so low, this looks risky compared to other Colorado programs where new graduates immediately earn $5,000-$11,000 more.